USS Nashville (LPD-13)
![]() USS Nashville patrolling the Arabian Sea in 2006
| |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | USS Nashville |
Namesake | Nashville, Tennessee |
Operator | ![]() |
Ordered | 15 May 1964[1] |
Builder | Lockheed Shipbuilding |
Laid down | 14 March 1966[1] |
Launched | 7 October 1967[1] |
Acquired | 26 December 1969[1] |
Commissioned | 14 February 1970[1] |
Decommissioned | 30 September 2009[2] |
Stricken | 13 November 2017 |
Status | Scrapped in Brownsville 2022 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Austin-class amphibious transport dock |
Displacement |
|
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Draft | |
Propulsion | Two boilers, two steam turbines, two shafts, 24,000 shp (18,000 kW) each[1] |
Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)[1] |
Complement | Ship's company: 489 (59 officers, 430 enlisted); Marine detachment: 900[1] |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | Up to six CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters[3] |
USS Nashville (LPD-13), was an Austin-class amphibious transport dock and the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital city of Tennessee. Her keel was laid down on 14 March 1966 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 7 October 1967 sponsored by Mrs. Roy L. Johnson, and commissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, on 14 February 1970.
History
[edit]Nashville's various assignments have included four Caribbean Amphibious Ready Groups, eight Mediterranean Groups, two Persian Gulf Groups, a Mine Countermeasure Task Group, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Operations and training assignments with Fleet Marine Force Atlantic.[2]
The ship remained in Amphibious Squadron 2 in 1977. She served as squadron flagship from 1 January through 11 March; 29 April through 21 May; and 10 August through 31 December 1977.[4] In addition, she served as flagship for Commander Combined Amphibious Task Force (Commander Task Force 401), Commander Combined Landing Force, and Commander Task Force 61 (Commander Amphibious Squadron 2) during NATO Exercise Dawn Patrol '77.
Nashville provided support during 8 June 1995 rescue of pilot Capt. Scott O'Grady,[5] who was shot down over Bosnia on 2 June 1995 by an SA-6 mobile launcher and forced to eject from his F-16C into hostile territory.
In 2003, she deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
On 16 and 17 January 2006, she was the first vessel to receive the landing of an unmanned robotic RQ-8A Fire Scout helicopter.[6]
In July 2006, she was sent to Lebanon as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group transporting the 24th MEU to assist with the evacuation of U.S. nationals from the country,[7] after a conflict erupted between the Israeli military and Hezbollah militants. On 20 July 2006, it landed the first Marines on Lebanese soil since 1982.[8] The Nashville is featured in an episode of the television program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, as it evacuated Americans (including Bourdain and his production crew) from Beirut. The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award.
The USS Nashville was decommissioned on 30 September 2009 at Naval Station Norfolk and moved to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it was laid up. Navy officials stated the ship was too costly to maintain and was unable to match the efficiency of newer vessels.[9]
On 22 March 2022, Nashville was removed from the Philadelphia NIMSF and began its journey to Brownsville, Texas, where it will be scrapped.[10] It arrived in Brownsville on 8 April 2022.[11]
Possible sale to India
[edit]According to an Indian news source, the Indian Navy may bid to acquire the Nashville,[12] but as of August 2007[update], India had decided not to move forward with the deal.[13] The Nashville is of the same class as the USS Trenton which was previously sold to India and is now the INS Jalashwa.[14]
Gallery
[edit]-
USS Nashville sails off the coast of Lebanon in December 1982
-
Crewmen from USS Nashville assist U.S. nationals evacuating from Lebanon in 2006
-
A RQ-8A Fire Scout helicopter preparing to land on USS Nashville
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "USS Nashville (LPD-13)". Naval Vessel Register. 18 September 2009. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009.
- ^ a b Woodrow, Melanie; Rose, Derrick (30 September 2009). "USS Nashville decommissioned". WAVY.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d "LPD 4 Austin class". Federation of American Scientists. 2008. Archived from the original on 9 September 2009.
- ^ "USS Nashville (LPD-13) Command History 1977" (PDF). United States Navy. 13 March 1978. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ "USS Nashville (LPD-13) Command History 1995" (PDF). United States Navy. 1 April 1996. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ "Autonomous Fire Scout UAV Lands on Ship". Navy.mil. Naval Air Systems Command. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012.
- ^ Martinez, Luis (14 July 2006). "Evacuating Lebanon". The World Newser. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013.
- ^ Panossian, Joe (14 July 2006). "Marines aid evacuation as plane lands in U.S." Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 20 July 2006.[dead link]
- ^ Smith, Nikki (8 October 2009). "Saying farewell to USS Nashville" (PDF). The Flagship. Vol. 17, no. 40.
- ^ "USS Nashville (Decommissioned) under tow 03/22/2022". YouTube.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/webuymetal/posts/welcome-uss-nashvillethe-nashville-reached-its-final-destination-here-at-scrap-m/5085076161545578/ [bare URL]
- ^ "Indian Navy May Bid To Acquire Amphibious Warship USS Nashville". India-Defence.com. 15 July 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009.
- ^ Luthra, Gulshan (August 2007). "India says 'Not Yet' to another assault ship from US". India Strategic. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- USS Nashville at Navy.mil
- USS Nashville command history at the Naval History & Heritage Command